Electrical sostenuto piano



April 21, 1931. 5, COOPER 1,801,488

. ELECTRICAL SOSTENUTO PIANO Original Filed March 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet i HIM x4? an'veutoz s2;

I 21, 1931. I s CQQPER 1,801,488

ELECTRICAL SOSTENUTO PIANO Original Filed March 25, 192"! 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 PATENT OFFICE;

SIMON COOPER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ELECTRICAL SOSTENUTO PIANO Application filedMarch 25, 1927, 'Serial No. 178,211.

This invention relates to electrical sostenuto pianos, of the type wherein a current controller, as a pulsator or make and break device, is operated by string vibration to fluctuate a magnetic field, thereby in turn to sustain the vibration of said string. as long as the circuit including the controller and electro-magnet is held closed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an electrical sostenuto piano, wherein the volume of such a sustained string vibration may be varied by a single means, and preferably an electric one, to obtain a result during sostenuto equivalent to the result ob tained in the ordinary piano by the use of the soft and loud pedals, that is, for varying the loudness of the sostenuto'of all the strings sounding as a particular chord, regardless of 20 which strings are thus sounded.

Another object is to provide an electrical sostenuto piano as just described, wherein the variable volume controls may. be incorporated in a so-called player piano, and wherein, preferably, the bellows and perforateweb means common to most player-pianos may form parts of or coact with said controls.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be specifically pointed out or apparent hereinafter, in the course of a description of certain preferred embodiments of the various possible forms of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing; it being understood, of course, that such forms are merely illustrative of combinations and arrangements of parts calculated to attain the objects of the invention, pursuant to present preference, and hence the detailed description of such forms now to be given is not to be taken as at all defining or limiting the invention itself. That is to say, the scope of protection contemplated is to be F taken'solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art, and with explanatory references to the specification only where a claim is ambiguous or to be impliedly. limited beyond its express terms to avoid such artin order to save the validity of said claim.

Renewed September 10, 1930.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of theinvention as applied to' an ordinary piano, showing a form of the invention wherein the key closes the sostenuto circuit and the pedals are employed to interpolate various resistance elements in said circuit.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, in that the pedals are employed to vary the number of electric battery cells in the circuit.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the invention as applied to a player-piano ofthe pneumatic type, and showing a form of the invention wherein the sostenuto circuit is closed by a key, said circuit is held closed by bellows, and another bellows arrangement varies the loudness of the tone by changing the number of battery cellsin the circuit and by mechanically modifying the hammer action.

Fig. 3a shows in side elevation,ron an enlarged scale, certain of the parts shown in side elevation in F ig.'3.

Fig. 3b is a section taken on the line 3b-3b of Fig. 3a.

Fig. 3c is a section taken on line 3c3c of Fig. 36.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, based on the electrical arrangement of Fig.1, showing the electrical connections in multiple from the battery to the various circuit subdivis1ons corresponding to the different strings.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, in that the bellows arrangement for varying the loudness of tone interpolates various resistance elements in the circuit.

In Fig.1 as well as in Fig. 8,.the piano string 10, stretched between the bridgepieces 11 and 12, is provided with a sostenuto equipment including a magnet 18 in circuit. with a pulsator letand a battery 15, such cir cuit including a normally open switch 16. adapted to be closed when a key 17 is depressed; the hammer being conventionally. indicated at H and mounted in any well known manner such as is shown in the patent to Severy and Sinclair, No. 1,104,282..

conventionally indicated at L and the soft pedal is conventionally indicated at S. Each of these pedals carries an upstanding arm, this arm forming apart of the sostenuto circuit when its upper end is in contact withv different cells of the batteries 23 and 24:, with one exception, to wit, that the button 20 to the extreme left in Fig. 2 forms the terminal for a lead out into the circuit ahead of any of the battery cells. A

1 Further comparing Figs. 1 and 2, it willbe noted that according to the arrangement of Fi 1, where a variable resistance co l is controlled by the movement of a pedal, the

sostenuto circuit includes, in the order now' to be stated, the upstanding arm of one pedal, one of the resistance coils, a connection 25, and the upstanding arm ofthe other pedal; andthat according to the arrangement of Fig. 2, where a variable voltage supplying element, or battery, is controlled by the movement of a pedal, the sostenuto circuit includes, in the order now to be stated, the up standing arm of one pedal, a connection 26,

I 24 become inserted in I the soft pedal all the way,

the upstanding arm of the other pedal, and the other battery.

With both pedals undepressed in Fig. 1, the sostenuto circuit, when closed at the switch 16, has a current traversing the same of a strength equal to the E. M. F. of the battery 15 divided by'the R of the circuit, which now'includes the R of all the convolutions of resistance coil 21, resistance coil 22 being out out ofthe circuit; while, with both'pedals undepressed in Fig. 2, the sostenuto circuit, when closed, has a current traversing the same of a strength'measured by the E. M. F. of all the cells of the-battery 244:, all thec'ells of thebattery 23 being cut out of the circuit. Now, if the loud pedal of Fig. 1 be depressed all of resistance coil 21 as well as all of resistance coil 22 iscut out of the circuit, while if the loud pedal of Fig. 2 be depressed all the way, all the cells of the battery 23 as well as all the cells of the battery the circuit; and a fortissimo effect is secured. However, if the .soft pedal of Fig.1 be depressed all the way,

both the resistance coils 21 and 22' will be completely insertedin the circuit, while if of Fig. 2 be depressed all the way, only one of the cells ofthe two batteries 23 and 2 1 will be retained in the circuit; and a pianissimo effect is secured.

It will be noted that a plurality of the but tons 20 are provided in each case to coact with a loud pedalas wellas a soft pedal; so that varylng degrees of fortissimo and 9121-.

nissimo may be obtained whenever required. It will of couse be understood that as pedal L of Fig. 1 or 2 is more and more depressed, so as to contact with a button 20 further and further to the right in Fig. 1 or 2, the current strength'in the sostenuto circuit will be more and more increased; and similarly, as the pedal S of Fig. 1 or 2 is more and more depressed, the current strength in the circuit will be more and more decreased.

It should be understood that the pedals L and S may be additional to the present foot pedals. Also, obviously, equivalents of said pedals may be provided and located so as to be operated by the knee former. It will be further understood that, as an equivalent of the pedals L and S, there or hand of the per-' could be provided a single see-saw pedal, one

ordinary loud'pedalacts when depressed to cause the dampers resting against the strings to clear away. Therefore, in employing a pedal or the like tissimo, as here, where the first smaller part of the downward pedal movement is suflicient to bring in some fort-issimo, it is desirable to arrange the piano-action connection so that the dampers will be cleared away from the strings at the very beginning of the pedal depression. V

Referring to Fig. 3, showing a form of player-piano installation according to the invention, it will be seen that the sostenuto circuit includes, in addition to the keyoperated switch 16, an additional switch 27 connected by a rod 28 to a bellows 29. This latter switch is normally closed, and is provided that it may be opened at intervals during the playing of'a given composition, to suspend the sostenuto action, therebyto ob tain new musical effects or contrasts at different portions of the composition. In the case of a pneumatic player-piano, this switch. 27 is conveniently operated from a perforation in the record-web; and so the bellows 29 'is present as just stated, this .bellowswhen expanded holding the switch 27 open and member of the switch to close the'same. It will of course be understood that pursuant to this feature of the invention, a similar switch could be inserted in the circuit of Fig. 1, and associated with suitable means onthe piano, say a key or pedal, to be set to permit such switch to open and stay open as long as desired. i

As to the normally open switch 16, this is shown in Fig. 3 as being closed directly by key depression, as in Fig. 1; but it may be explained that such switch 16 may desirably be located so as to be actuated by the movce for varying degrees of for. V

ment of the spindle (not shown) connecting the key with the hammer-action, or by the The volume varying means of Fig. 3 in. cludes the battery 15, a plurality of buttons 30 forming terminals for leads from various cells of the battery 15, and mechanical connections operated by a pair. of bellows 31 and32, certain of said connections selecting a button 30 and hence a predetermined number of the battery cells for interpolation in the circuit, and certain of said connections acting to vary the hammer actionmechanically. I

Normally, the intermediate button 30 contacts the lower or swinging end of a switcharm 33 to maintain some of the cells of the battery, but less than all such cells, in the sostenuto circuit, as shown clearly in Fig. 3; this switch-arm being pivoted at 34.

The connections for operating the switcharm 33, to swing the armto contact the left button 30, for pianissimo, or to swing the arm to contact the right button 30, for fortiesimo, include a bell-crank 35, pivoted at 3.6, a link 37'joining the upstanding arm of the bell-crank and switch-arm 33, and a pair of links 38 joining the other arm of the bellcrank with the two bellows 31 and 32. Ac.- oording to these connections, when bellows 31 is expended and bellows 32 exhausted, the switch-arm is thrown to contact the soft.- volume button 30 at the left; and when bellows 32 is expanded and bellows 31 exhausted, the switch-arm is thrown to contact the loudbutton 30 at the right. To restore the switcharm to contact the intermediate button 30, both bellows are equally expanded, as by reducing the expansion of the previously ex; panded bellows 31 or 32 and by adding pres.- sure to the previously exhausted bellows 31 or 32. Suitable perforations in the record web may be employed for thee con r l ng the bellows 31 and 32.

The connections for mechanically varying the hammer action here include means for varyi g the leverage. of the amm and as shown in Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 8, such means in-. cludes a shiftable hammer-fulcrum compris ing a collar 39, slidable on the hammer-shank h and pivoted at 40 in the forward forked portion 41 of a carriage 42 riding on a guide-rod 43. Such carriage is shifted up or down from its normal intermediate position by a lever 44 pivoted at 45; one end of lever 44 coecting with studs 46 on a r r fin 47 on he c r iage, and the other end of said lever connected to the upper end of a link 48 the lower end of which is connected to one arm of a bell-crank 49. ThiS hell-crank, which is pivoted at 50, has its otherar n connected to switch-arm 33 by a link 51. It will be seen that when the bellows 31 is expanded, for pianissimo as above, the carriage 42 is moved upward to reduce the leverage of the hammer; and when bellows 32 is expanded, for fortissimo, the carriage 42 is moved downward, to increase he leverage of the ham This hammersaction control, or an equiva? lent, may of course be incorporated in an electrical system for ordinary pianos pursuant to the present invention, as, for instance, in the system shown in Fig. 1, as by employin a see-saw pedal as herein above referred to or both loud and soft efi'ects and connecting one of the arms of said pedal to the lever 44 or an equivalent.

In Fig, 4, the different magnets are indicated at 13, each of which magnets, together with one of a plurality of pulsators each in a different circuit subdivision 13a, serve a particular string; such strings not being shown. In each of these circuit subdivisions is a switch 16, normally open pursuant to the explanations hereinabove, so that as a particu lar key corresponding to a particular string is depressed, sostenuto is imparted to the vibration of that string. The circuit including these circuit subdivisions 13a has interposed therein a single switch 27 normally closed pursuant to the aforesaid explana tions, so that whenever the sostenuto effect is to be suspended for an interval during the playing of a musical composition the opening of said switch 27 makes such suspension complete as to all the springs. The. control mechanism for loudness and softness of tone, is indicated merely, by the presence of the elements 15, 30 and 33 as in Fig. 3.

Referring finally to Fi 5, there is shown the same battery 15 as in 1* igs. 3 and 4, but the buttons 30 are terminals for taps from differ- .ent convolutions along the length of a resistance coil 52 in series with the battery 15. Then, a Switoh-armsimilar to the switch-arm 33 may be connected as the latter is connected to a pair of bellows similar to the bellows 31 and32; so that with both bellows expanded, the said arm contacts with the intermediate button 30 for ordinar volume, when one of the bellows is expan ed said arm contacts with the button to the left for soft volume, and when the other bellows is expanded said arm contacts with the button tQthe right for loud volume. 4

The arrangement indicated in Fig. 4, or an equivalent, is an important feature of the invention, as, thereby the operations of all the agne m y be m dified simu ta eo sly a d similarly by a single means or actuator.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above constructions, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language contained in the followingclaims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the inventi n herei described and all state- 'mentsof'the scope of the invention which, as

a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 1 7

What I claim is:

In the operation of electrical sostenuto installations for pianos of the type including electro-magnets and means acted on by string vibration to cause different magnets to vary their fields to sustain said vibration relative 10 to different strings, the method which involves groups of strings, the method Which involves simultaneously and similarly varying the magnetic fields of all said magnets.

2. In the operation of electrical sostenuto apparatus for pianos of the type including electro-magnets for different strings or providing a plurality of pulsators, arranging said pulsators so that different strings operate different pulsators, various magnets and pulsators being wired in series and such Wirings bemg'm parallel relatlve to a current source, whereby variation of a circuit element beyond said parallel wirings varies the mag-- netic field of all-the magnets simultaneously and similarly, and providing such an element andvarying the same for the purpose. last mentioned.

3. In a piano, the combination of an electrical sostenuto equipment for the strings, and

tuating element of a means for varying the sostenuto circuit relative to all the stringssimilarly While maintaining the resistance of said circuit substantially constant.

4. In a piano, the combinationof an electrical sostenuto equipment for the strings, means for cutting in and out such sostenuto at will, and means for varying the output of current source for the sostenuto circuit at will during functioning of v the sostenuto While maintaining the resistance-of said circuit substantially constant.

5. The piano defined in claim 4,Wherein the last-mentioned means includes a familiar acpiano, as a bellows in a player-piano. 7 V

6. In electrical sostenuto involving the use I of a plurality of electro-magnets fora plurality of strings, themethod of obtaining sound volume variations by affecting the operations of the magnets, Which involves thus acting on all the magnets simultaneously, by a single circuit alteration While maintaining the resistance of said circuit substantially constant. 7 p V 7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein said method'involves making said single alteration by actuation of a familiar actuating element of a piano, as a pedal of an ordinary piano or a bellows of a player-piano.

8. In a piano, the combination of a vibratory string, electrical means for imparting sostenuto to said string, and means for varying suchsostenuto at Will to obtain varyingvolume while maintaining the total resistance of said electrical means substantially constant.

9; In a piano, the combination of a vibra-' 11. In a piano, the combination of a vibratory string, means for imparting electrical sostenuto to said strmg, and means for varying the volume of such sostenuto, the last-mentloned means including a' pneumatic instrumentality. r V

12. In a piano, the combination of an electrical sostenuto equipment for the strings, and pneumatic means for cutting in and out such sostenuto at Will.

13. In a piano. the combination of a plu-' rality of strings, separatemeans' for each of certain of said strings for imparting sostenuto thereto, and means for rendering all said separate means inoperative simultaneously, at Will. 7

14:. In an electrical sostenuto piano, in combination With the strings, pulsators, sostenuto magnets, and a current source for the magnets, volume controls corresponding to the loud and soft pedals of an ordinary piano, and means by Which actuation of one of said controls reduces current flow through the magnets and actuation of the other increases the flow. I

15. In an electrical sostenuto piano, in com bination With the strings, pulsators, sostenuto magnets, and a current source for the magnets, volume controls corresponding to the loud and soft pedals of an ordinary piano, and variable resistances in the magnet circuit, one controlled by one of said volume controls to reduce current fiowand the other controlled by the othervolume control to increase current flow.

16. In an electrical sostenuto piano, in combination with the strings,;pulsators, sostenuto magnets, and volume controls corresponding to the loud and soft pedals of an 1 ordinary piano, and a multi-celllbattery as a source of current supply for the magnets, and sets of contacts connected to the battery in rheostat fashion, said volume controls having contact members to cooperate With the battery contacts to reduce or increase,

respectively, current supplied to the mag nets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SIMON COOPER. 

